In advance to the Mk VII spitzer bullet introduction, a Mk III proof round with 20% higher pressure was introduced in 1908; rifles modified earlier and proven with previous marks may have a modified blackpowder-era breech block slightly weakened with the insertion of a new face, but the rifles with newly made breech blocks should withstand even WWII military surplus ammo.

The Khyber Pass region between Pakistan and Afghanistan has long had a reputation for producing unlicensed, home-made copies of firearms using whatever materials are available-more often than not, railway sleepers, junked motor vehicles, and scrap metal.

Khyber Pass Copies can be recognised by a number of factors, notably: Many different versions of the original Enfield rifles are on sale at UN, United States or NATO-authorized bazaars usually adjacent to or within military or diplomatic installations in Afghanistan.

These ranged a gamut of Martini–Henrys, Snider-converted original Enfield pattern 1853s, blatant knockoffs of the Martini–Henry rifles that lacked all British markings completely and were often engraved with popular Middle Eastern geometric and scrollwork designs.

After the limitations regarding the loading method cut the supply of these being brought into bazaars went into effect, many of the vendors simply resorted to bringing fake muzzle-loading British pattern 1853 'Tower' rifles to sell as send-home replicas.